Facebook is testing mobile ads in third party apps as it looks to help app developers monetise their products more effectively.

The test will make use of Facebook’s ad targeting technology to improve the relevancy of commercial content users are exposed to, and is also aimed at providing greater reach for its advertising partners.

Writing on the Facebook developers blog, Siriam Krishnan, a member of the Facebook product group, said monetisation is a “difficult problem” for mobile app developers, “particularly as people move toward downloading more free apps and advertising dollars lag behind time spent on mobile”.

He added that the unique challenges Facebook encountered when integrating ads into the social network’s mobile interfaces means it is well positioned to help other mobile apps.

Kirshnan likened the current tests to a mobile ad network — as opposed to an outside ad-serving platform — as the company is working directly with a small number of advertisers and partners.

Facebook has been making efforts to boost the services it offers to mobile developers.

The social network giant acquired tools company Parse in April and earlier this month agreed to purchase Little Eye Labs, a Bangalore-based start-up that builds performance analysis and monitoring tools for Android app developers.

Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s CEO, previously argued that Facebook can “create a lot of value for developers” as an identity and distribution platform.